Carrying bag comprising adhered, ushaped folded carrying handles of paper



Nov. 5, 1968 FlNKE 3,409,209

CARRYING BAG COMPRISING ADHERED, U-SHAPED FOLDED CARRYING HANDLES OF PAPER Filed Dec. 20, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 5, 1968 A. FINKE 3,409,209

CARRYING BAG COMPRISING ADHERED, U-SHAPED FOLDED CARRYING HANDLES OF PAPER Filed Dec. 20, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,409,209 CARRYING BAG COMPRISING ADHERED, U-

SHAPED FOLDED CARRYING HANDLES OF PAPER Arno Finke, Lengerich, Germany, assignor to Windmoller & Holscher Filed Dec. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 603,198 Claims priority, application Germany, Jan. 3, 1966, W 40,639 6 Claims. (Cl. 22954) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application relates to a carrying bag of paper, plastic material sheeting or the like. Adhered to the bag are strip-like carrying handles folded in U shape. The carrying handles are provides throughout their length with a woven fabric layer. This layer is bonded to the paper and has a width which is at least as large as the width of the hand-engaging surfaces of the grip portion.

It is known to provide carrying bags of paper, plastics material sheeting or the like, which bags have adhered striplike carrying handles, which consist of paper and are folded in U shape. It is an object of the invention to improve these carrying bags in such a manner that the strength of the carrying handles and of the joints connecting them to the bag is increased so that they are more reliable in use. It is also an object of the invention to reduce the costs of manufacturing the carrying bags and to improve the appearance of the bags.

The US. patent specification No. 2,603,408 discloses a carrying bag, to which U-shaped carrying handles are secured, which consist of double-folded paper strips and are secured to the bag simply by adhering the end portions of the folded U-shaped strips to the bag walls.

' The German utility model No. 1,750,667 discloses modified U-shaped carrying handles, in which the intermediate or grip portion of the handle is double-folded to enable a more convenient gripping of the handles.

The German patent specification No. 1,158,815 discloses an apparatus which enables a reinforcing of the double-folded strips of the U-shaped carrying handles by two longitudinally inserted reinforcing strips, which consist, e.g., ofartificial bast. The same patent specification proposes to reinforce the joint between the U-shaped carrying handles and the bag walls by adhering covering sheets to those portions of the bag walls which are provided with the handle end portions.

Even the last-mentioned known embodiments provided with reinforcements are not satisfactory in strength in all cases. Reinforcing strips which are embedded in the double-folded paper strips involve a stressing of the paper and of the hand of the user in a highly localized area so that they cut through the paper and may cut into the hand of the user and inflict pain. As the reinforcing strips do not increase the width of the adhered surface, the more highly stressed handles may be torn from the bag walls. Whereas this is avoided by the use of the known covering sheets, the latter increase the expenditure of materials and involve additional manufacturing steps so that the costs of the product are increased. Beside, the covering sheets detract from the appearance of the carrying bag as they are adhered to the outside of the bag.

For this purpose it is an essential object of the invention to reinforce the U-shaped carrying handles of carrying bags while avoiding the disadvantages of the known embodiments. According to the invention, this object is accomplished in carrying bags :of the type defined initially hereinbefore in that the carrying handles are provided throughout their length with a woven fabric layer, which Patented Nov. 5, 1968 ice is bonded to the paper and has a width which is at least as large as the width of the hand-engaging surfaces of the grip portion. The woven textile fabric maybe as thick as desired. As it is adhered or otherwise bonded to the paper, it has the stiffness which is required for processing and use. Because the woven fabric extends throughout the width of the hand-engaging surface, the fabric will not cut through the paper and the hand of the user will not be stressed to a painful degree.

In a development of the invention, the handle strips may have reversely folded edge portions at least adjacent to the hand-engaging surfaces, in a manner known per se, and the woven fabric layer may cover at least that portion which is not infolded. Owing to the reversely folded edge portions, the grip portions of the carrying handles are not so wide that they are transversely compressed in the hand of the user. As a result of this feature, a cutting of the edges of the carrying handles into the hand is also avoided as the reversely bent edges are comparatively soft. To facilitate the manufacture of the carrying handles, it will be desirable to provide a woven fabric layer which extends throughout the length of the paper so that prefabricated material can be used. The essential features of the invention will be obtained, however, if the woven fabric layer extends throughout that length portion of the handle strips which is not reversely folded.

In their simplest form, the handle strips may consist of a paper layer and a woven fabric layer, which is adhered to the paper layer. Alternatively, the handle strips may comprise two paper layers and a woven fabric layer, which is adhesively bonded between the paper layers. In the latter case, the woven fabric layer is covered on all sides and is not visible from the outside. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the handle strips consist of a woven fabric strip which is embedded in the paper composition. According to the invention, such material is made directly on the paper machine so that ther is no need for a separate laminating step. It is sufiicient to introduce on the paper machine a woven textile web into the wet paper pulp so that the paper bonds intimately to the fabric.

To improve the strength of the grip portions of the carrying handles and of the joints connecting them to the carrying bags, the handle portions may be provided with reversely bent edge portions at least in their grip portion, which is horizontal in use, whereas their adhered end portions are not folded so that a much wider adhered surface is provided. On the other hand, the above-described advantages of the reversely folded edge portions to provide a double-folded handle are retained. According to the invention, the transitional portions between the adhered end portions and those portions which are provided with reversely folded edge portions may be formed by incisions, which have a depth that corresponds to the width of the reversely folded edge portions. This will facilitate the double folding effected by the reverse folding of the edge portions as the incisions separate those portions which are to be reversely folded from those portions which are not to be reversely folded.

In the middle of the length of the portion between two opposed incisions on both sides of the handle strip there is a transitional portion which has the same width as the central portion of the handle strip and which is also free of reversely folded edge portions. For this purpose, the strength of the woven fabric must be selected so that it has the required carrying capacity even in this reduced width, even if the woven fabric extends into the reversely folded edge portions. On the other hand, the woven fabric extends suitably throughout the width of the strip because the end portions to be adhered, which are free of reversely folded edge portions, are then reinforced by the woven fabric throughout their width. The narrow single-ply portion provided by the incisions affords the above-mentioned advantages and imparts a desirable flexibility to the handles adjacent to the adhered surface so that an overstressing of the strip and of the adhered joints under extreme loads will be avoided.

The incisions consist suitably of rounded recesses or recess portions 50 that the handle will not be weakened by a notch effect which might result in tearing.

The just described provision of the handle strips with reversely folded edge portions adjacent to the grip portion and with unfolded adhered surfaces is not essential. If covering sheets are employed, the essential feature of the invention may also be realized if the strips are doublefolded throughout their length in known manner by the provision of reversely folded edge portions.

According to the invention, the end portions of the handle strips may be adhered to the outside surfaces of the bag walls and reinforcing sheets may be adhered to the inside of the walls in the same areas. This design ensures against a destruction of the bag wall under excessive stresses imposed by the carrying handles as the bag wall is reinforced by the reinforcing sheets in the area where the forces are applied. These reinforcing sheets may be combined in continuous reinforcing strips. The appearance of. the carrying bag is not disturbed as with external covering sheets adhered over the handle end portions.

The invention will be explained more fully in the following description with reference to the drawing, which shows embodiments by way of example. In the drawing,

FIG. 1 shows a strip for use in the manufacture of carrying handles for the carrying bags according to the invention, which strip has been unwound from a supply roll.

FIG. 2 shows the continuous strip according to FIG. 1, which has been formed with lateral recesses in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows the endless strip according to FIG. 2, which has been provided with reversely folded edge portions.

FIG. 4 shows an individual handle strip section which has been severed from the continuous strip shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows the U-shaped handle which has been folded from the strip of FIG. 4 in accordance with the two known designs and adhered to a bag wall.

FIG. 6 shows a continuous strip according to FIG. 1, which has been prepared by a simple folding of the side portions.

' FIG. 7 shows an individual handle strip section which has been severed from the continuous strip of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 shows a strip section according to FIG. 7, which has been folded into U shape in accordance with two known designs, adhered to a bag wall and provided with a continuous covering strip.

FIG. 9 shows the embodiment of FIG. 8, but with two individual covering sheets.

FIG. 10 shows a handle strip which comprises according to the invention a woven textile fabric embedded in the paper.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the filling end of a complete carrying bag.

When it is desired to manufacture U-shaped carrying handles, which are to be secured to respective sides of a bag for use as a carrying bag, a strip 1 is used, which consists according to the invention of a paper strip 2 and a woven textile fabric strip 3. In a first embodiment, these two strips are adhered to each other. The adhering or laminating may be effected in wide webs, which are subsequently cut into strips 1, which are wound up to form supply rolls 4. In the manufacture of the carrying handles, a continuous strip is unwound from said rolls.

In the manufacture of a preferred embodiment of the carrying handles to be used according to the invention, the continuous strip is provided with mutually opposite recesses, which approach each other to a predetermined 4 p I width b. The pairs of recesses 5, 6 are spaced along the continuous strips by alternate distances and l .--The distance I, is equal to the length of the handle part to be folded into U shape less the length of the portions to be adhered. The length 1 is substantially equal to twice the length of an adhered portion. The dash and dot lines 7 in the middle of the distances 1 are the lines where the individual carrying handle strips will be subsequently severed. Those side portions 8 and 9 of the portion which have been exposed by the preferably arcuate recesses 5 and 6 are then folded onto the woven fabric side and are secured there, preferably by adhering. The reversely folded, intermediate portion of the strip has thus the width b. The individual carrying handle strip section 10 severed along the severing lines 7 from the continuous strip shown in FIG. 3 is illustrated in FIG. 4. Two such strip sections 10 are required for each carrying bag and are adhered to respective sides of the carrying bag, as is shown in FIG. 5, when the strip sections have previously been folded into U shape. The folding into U shape may be effected in the simple manner illustrated on the right in FIG. 5 at 11 or in the manner indicated on the left in FIG. 5 at 12, where the intermediate portion of the strip, which forms in known manner the actual grip portion is additionally double-folded. The grip portions and suitably also the vertical strip portions 13 and 14 have the width b, and the adhered portions have the original width B of the original strip so that the adhered surface corresponds to the entire width of the woven textile fabric and the latter is fully adhered. Even if the adhesive joint does not have the full strength of the handle strip, the enlarged adhered surface provides for a reserve as the handle strip has only a width b in the single-ply portions provided with the recesses 5 and 6.

If the strength of the bag material is less than that of the adhered portion of the handles, the invention teaches to adhere a reinforcing strip 15 or two individual reinforcing sheets 16 and 17 (said sheets are indicated in dash and dot lines) to the inside surface of the bag, as has been described hereinbefore. According to FIG. 11, each carrying bag is provided with two carrying handles 18 and 19 and, e.g., with two reinforcing sheets 15. According to another feature of the invention, these sheets are combined in a single, annular reinforcing strip 20, which imparts the desired, higher strength to the entire upper rim of the carrying bag, where the bag is endangered when it is being filled. This strip has also the function of the reinforcing sheets.

Between the adhered portion having the width B and the substantially two-ply, folded strip having the width b, there is a transitional portion which is disposed adjacent to the recesses 5 and 6 and consists only of a single ply so that it has a desirable flexibility and is similar to a hinge, which prevents an overstressing of this portion of the strip and of the adjacent adhered zone. Such overstressing might be caused by a swinging of the filled bag, particularly when it is carried by a child, or when the bag is carried only at one handle or at one handle corner.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, only the strength of the paper strip, which is reinforced by a woven textile fabric, is utilized and there are no enlarged adhered portions where the woven fabric is fully joined to the side walls of the bag. In this embodiment, an external covering sheet will have to be used, as a rule, to ensure an adequate fixation of the carrying handles. This embodiment has the advantage of a simpler manufacture because there is no need for the recesses 5 and 6 and the intermittent reverse folding of edge portions of the strip. The manufacture is thus simplified and can be carried out at a higher speed so that the cost of the product is reduced. The continuous strip 21 shown in FIG. 6 has only side portions 22 and 23 which are reversely folded onto the fabric side and adhered there, and is severed along the dash and dot lines 24 to form an individual carrying handle strip section 25 (FIG. 7). This is then folded into U shape at 11 or, with a reverse folding of the intermediate portion of the handle, at 12, and is adhered to the side walls of the bag. FIG. 8 shows the use of a single, continuous covering strip 26 and FIG. 9 shows the use of two individual covering sheets 27 and 28 for each U-shaped carrying handle. In this embodiment, the rim of the bag may be additionally reinforced on the inside in the adhered area, whether by a continuous covering strip 29 (FIG. 8) or two individual covering sheets 30 and 31 (FIG. 9) or an annular reinforcing strip, which is indicated at 20 in FIG. 11.

The internal reinforcement for the rim and the adhered portions may consist of a reversely folded portion of the bag material itself, if this is desired.

The strip material may consist of paper in which a woven textile fabric is enclosed or embedded, as is shown in FIG. 10. An intermediate web or layer 32 of woven textile fabric is embedded in a paper layer 33, which is disposed above and below the textile fabric. Corresponding webs may be made on a paper machine by introducing a web of woven textile fabric into wet paper pulp, which encloses and intimately bonds to the fabric.

The invention may be applied to any kind of carrying bags, such as are used in retail stores for packaging the sold commodities. The bags may consist of paper, plastics material, woven fabric, or combinations of such materials.

The invention affords the advantage that the bags can be filled with heavy commodities and the carrying handles cannot be torn apart or torn off even in rough usage. The preferred embodiment of the invention, comprising unfolded adhered portions, has the additional advantage that the need of external covering sheets is eliminated. The double folding of the carrying handle strips in the grip portion proper enables a convenient carrying of the bag as the reversely bent edges are soft and do not cut into the hand.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a carrying bag of paper, plastic material sheeting or the like, and strip-like carrying handles folded in U-shape adhered to said bag, said carrying handles comprising at least one strip of paper and a woven fabric layer bonded with said paper strip throughout its length and having the same width as said paper strip, each said handle strip together with its fabric layer having reversely folded edge portions on both sides at least adjacent to the hand-engaging surface, the folded edges of said edge portions being of a soft nature and having a rounded contour.

2. A carrying bag according to claim 1, wherein the handle strips are formed of material which before said strips are folded consists of two paper layers and a woven fabric layer adhered between the paper layers.

3. A carrying bag according to claim 1, wherein the handle strips comprise a woven fabric strip embedded in a paper composition.

4. A carrying bag according to claim 1, wherein the handle strips are reversely folded only in the hand-engaging portion which extends horizontally in use, whereas the end portions adhered to the bag are not folded, and wherein the transitional portions of the handle strips between the adhered end portions and those portions which are reversely folded are formed by incisions which have a depth that corresponds to the width of the reversely folded edge portions.

5. A carrying bag according to claim 4, wherein the incisions consist of rounded recesses.

6. A carrying bag according to claim 1, wherein the end portions of the handle strips are adhered to the outside surfaces of the bag walls, and reinforcing sheets are adhered to the inside surfaces in aligned areas.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,062,617 12/ 1936 Steen 22954 2,361,673 10/1944 Young 22952 3,031,359 4/1962 Blank et a1 22952 FOREIGN PATENTS 842,681 7/ 1960 Great Britain. 1,000,079 8/1965 Great Britain. 1,004,274 9/ 1965 Great Britain.

396,608 1/ 1966 Switzerland.

DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner. 

